Summary of this article
AU$100,000 converts to around Rs 67 lakh but expenses reduce the surplus.
Taxes, rent and everyday costs leave Gill with roughly AU$31,000.
Social media users debated Australia’s living costs, Indian prices and lifestyle differences.
An AU$100,000 annual salary can look significantly higher when converted into Indian rupees, with the amount translating to around Rs 67 lakh. However, the currency conversion does not account for the taxes and living expenses attached to earning that income in Australia. Karan Singh Gill, an Indian living in Australia, shared his salary calculation in an Instagram video, showing how taxes, rent and everyday expenses affect the amount left from his AU$100,000 income.
“When I told my family that I earn 1 lakh dollars in Australia, they took out a calculator, wrote 67 lakh and declared me a crorepati,” Gill said. He noted that the conversion was technically correct at an exchange rate of Rs 67 per Australian dollar. However, he said the amount represents a salary earned in Australia, where his expenses are also paid.
How Much Is Left After Taxes And Expenses
Gill then calculated how much of his AU$100,000 (around Rs 67 lakh) salary remains after taxes, rent and other regular expenses. He said AU$22,788 (around Rs 15.3 lakh) goes towards tax and the Medicare levy, leaving around AU$77,000 (around Rs 51.6 lakh).
He estimated annual rent at AU$26,000 (around Rs 17.4 lakh), based on an average weekly rent of AU$500 (around Rs 33,500). This brings the amount left to around AU$51,000 (around Rs 34.2 lakh). Gill then accounted for groceries, transport, electricity, phone bills and insurance, which he estimated at another AU$20,000 (around Rs 13.4 lakh). This leaves around AU$31,000 (around Rs 20.8 lakh) from the annual salary.
“Earning $100k in Australia sounds like Rs 67 lakh until you realise the money is being spent in Australia too,” Gill wrote in the caption of his video. He said that after taxes, rent and everyday expenses, the AU$100,000 salary could leave around AU$31,000 (around Rs 20.8 lakh) in this example. He added that currency conversion is more relevant for money sent to India, while expenses in Australia continue to be paid at local prices.
“Same salary, different country, completely different maths,” he added.
Gill said the currency conversion matters when money is sent to India, while expenses in Australia continue to be paid at local prices. “Conversion only applies to the money that you send to India. The money you spend here doesn’t have that Rs 67 magic,” he said.
How Did Social Media Users React
Gill’s post also drew mixed reactions from users. Some pointed out that coffee and haircut prices in Indian Tier 1 cities can also be high, with one user citing coffee prices of around Rs 400-500 and another noting that they do not have a surplus even on an AU$100,000 salary. Another user said the lifestyle in Australia itself is an important factor when comparing the value of the salary.
